Growing Brighter
Futures

Sign Up Today

Together, we've got this!

1 Check your eligibility here.
2 Provide us with your contact info:

Our Mission is to help you be mom strong!

If you’re pregnant, a caregiver, or a parent with a child under the age of 5, WIC is here for you, providing:

Healthy Food

Monthly food benefits help you provide the healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, cheese, cereal and other grains, peanut butter, beans & more. And because they need added nutrition, nursing moms get additional food.

Breastfeeding Support

Everything you need to know – from establishing good milk supply before your baby arrives to continuing to breastfeed after you return to work or school. Get support and education, peer counseling, lactation support, classes and more.

Nutrition Education

Learn about nutritious foods, how to plan and prepare healthy meals, shop on a budget, prenatal nutrition tips, kid-friendly recipes, access to free online lessons, personalized nutrition counseling and more.

eWIC

Your eWIC card issued by the Wisconsin WIC program is your main tool to access a wide range of benefits and check balances.

Mobile App

Use your mobile device to scan WIC-approved foods and much more. Available on both Android and iOS.

Care Beyond WIC

You always have a place to turn for questions in one-on-one sessions or peer parent groups, and referrals to social services and valuable resources.

WIC WORKS!

  • WIC participation leads to healthier infants, more nutritious diets, and better health care for children. 3
  • WIC moms experience longer pregnancies, fewer premature births. 2
  • WIC moms give birth to healthier babies. 3
  • WIC moms are twice as likely to plan to breastfeed and to breastfeed longer. 1
  • Breastfeeding reduces the risk of diseases and infections for both moms and infants. 1
  • Children enrolled in WIC are more likely to have regular medical care and up-to-date immunizations. 2
  • Children who receive WIC benefits demonstrate improved intellectual development. 2
  • WIC helps get children ready to start school. 2
  • Children who participate in WIC do better in school. 3

FAQs

Your 1st WIC appointment

WIC frequently asked questions

Wisconsin WIC Mom Strong

Under normal circumstances, WIC would schedule in-person appointments with individuals looking to sign up. Right now, WIC clinics are still open and offering those appointments over the phone. To schedule an appointment, you’ll just need to call your local clinic or sign up here.

Right now, federal WIC regulations require that a WIC purchase be made with a cashier in a store. Even if these federal regulations were temporarily waived, the technology and procedures, unfortunately, do not exist to conduct a WIC transaction outside of a store. The WIC purchases require multiple computer systems to talk to each other to check if a food item is on the WIC approved list and to enter a PIN at the time of purchase.

We know this may pose challenges for our WIC shoppers. If you feel you shouldn’t go grocery shopping, take care of yourself and give your shopping list and card to another trusted shopper. Also, remember that self-checkout is an option at Copps, Pick n Save, Meijer, MetroMart and Walmart for a quicker, and more socially distant checkout.

We also recommend shopping during non-peak times, such as early in the morning, when you may come into contact with fewer people. This also increases your chances of finding more WIC-approved foods in stock and available for purchase.

WIC is speaking with manufacturers and food distributors’ representatives to monitor WIC food availability and analyzing food redemption information to determine which WIC approved foods are being purchased during this time. As of now, WIC has not received any notifications that there are shortages of WIC foods. Shelves at the grocery store may be empty due to the increased demand during this time. But they will be restocked!

Wisconsin WIC has also been approved by the USDA for temporary food waivers to allow participants to buy a larger variety of brands and package sizes until the end of May. More choices are available for whole wheat bread, 48 oz. juice and tofu. If one of your go-to WIC foods is not available, use the WICApp to do a food search or scan a similar item to see if it is approved. A list of temporarily approved foods was also texted to families recently.

In most cases, in order to determine whether or not a person is eligible, WIC looks at their income over the LAST 30 days. However, in cases of recent unemployment, WIC looks at their expected income over the NEXT 30 days. So in short, if you’re recently unemployed, there’s no need to wait to apply for WIC!

We want to ensure all of our WIC participants that their benefits are valid, and their e-WIC card will not be locked. We are not planning to make any changes to the way benefits are distributed. If participants have questions about their individual benefits, they can contact their local clinic for assistance.

Breast milk provides protection against many illnesses. COVID-19 has not been detected in breast milk. So yes, breastfeed! If you’re breastfeeding and you become ill, it’s important not to interrupt nursing. The baby has already been exposed to the virus and will benefit the most from continued breastfeeding.

Resources

Shopping Guide

Download your WIC shopping guide for tips and to see what foods WIC approves.
View Guide

WIC Cookbook

Download our new, updated Wisconsin WIC Cookbook with a variety of new recipes.
View Guide

Disclaimer: WIC MomStrong.com is an informational resource developed by independent Wisconsin WIC agencies, created in association with and with the approval of Wisconsin WIC and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. A full range of Wisconsin WIC Program information is available by visiting dhs.wisconsin.gov/wic.

© 2022 National WIC Association. All Rights Reserved. • Full Disclaimer

Who is Eligible?

WIC serves lower-income pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding women, infants, and children under age 5 who have health or nutrition risks. Many working families are part of WIC.

You must meet four criteria to be eligible for WIC:

  • Live in Wisconsin.
  • Be a pregnant, breastfeeding or new mother, be an infant up to age one, or be a child up to age 5.
  • Have a health or nutrition need.
  • Be income eligible.

Not sure if you qualify? You may qualify if anyone in your family is receiving FoodShare, Medicaid, BadgerCare Plus, Wisconsin Works Program (W2), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).

Dads, grandparents, and other caregivers of children under the age of 5 may also sign up kids for WIC.

Foster children and Kinship Care recipients under age 5, and foster teens who are pregnant are eligible for WIC.

WIC Income Guidelines

July 1, 2021–June 30, 2022

WIC income eligibility is based on 185% of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services poverty guidelines, which is the same criteria as free and reduced-price school lunch.

For specific income levels by household size, consult the WIC income eligibility table below.

Household:

A person or group of people, related or not, who usually (though not necessarily) live together and whose income and consumption of goods and services are related.

Income:

All sources of gross income, including overtime, in the household before any deductions are made. This also includes, but is not limited to, child support, unemployment, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments.

Employer Statement Form, F-40076 (Multiple Languages) may be filled out and submitted to WIC as a proof of income for employees who do not receive a paycheck stub.

For more information about income eligibility, contact a local WIC Office.

First Appointment:

If you think you qualify for WIC, want more information, or have questions regarding eligibility, contact a local WIC Office.
The information below will help you prepare for your first WIC appointment.
Please bring the following items to your appointment:

Proof of identity (I.D.) for yourself and each child to be certified, such as a driver’s license, birth certificate, military identification, tribal identification card, alien card, passport, hospital identification/confirmation of birth (which may include hospital discharge papers, crib card, or wrist band) or passport. If you cannot bring one of these forms of ID, the clinic can explain other acceptable forms of I.D.

Proof of address, such as a current utility bill with a street address (no P.O. boxes), rent or mortgage receipt. This is to verify you live in Wisconsin.

Proof of income, such as a letter showing participation in FoodShare, Wisconsin Works Program (W2), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, Kinship Care, or Foster Care. If a family member does not participate in one of these programs, bring proof of all sources of income for the household for the last 30 days, including pay stubs (if you get paid weekly, bring four pay stubs; if you get paid bi-weekly, bring two pay stubs; if you get paid monthly, bring one pay stub). You must also bring proof of income from Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), unemployment compensation, and child support.

Confirmation of your pregnancy, if you are expecting. This may include a statement from your health care provider or an ultrasound including the applicant’s name and date. Home pregnancy tests are not allowed.
Don’t forget to bring your children to be certified!
You will be asked to identify your race and ethnicity. This information is for record keeping purposes only and does not affect your eligibility.

WIC will not ask about your immigration status. You do not need to be a legal resident of the United States to participate in WIC and receive food benefits.

Information shared with the WIC clinic staff is kept confidential.

At the clinic trained WIC staff will conduct a health and nutrition screening for all family members applying for WIC. This will include height and weight measurements and may include a finger stick blood test to check the level of iron in your blood. The WIC staff will ask questions and discuss your health and nutrition. At the end of this appointment you will be told if you and your children are eligible for WIC services.

If you are eligible, you will receive an eWIC card to purchase specific healthy foods at the grocery store.

You will continue to have appointments at the WIC clinic about every three months to receive nutrition education, relevant health care referrals, and more food benefits.

Last Revised: July 1, 2020

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

  1. mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

  2. fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

  3. email:
    program.intake@usda.gov

 This institution is an equal opportunity provider.